We did very well, but in a somewhat ironic twist of fate — it was a bit of a mixed bag. We had pilots from everywhere going up, at one stage we were down to 350 pilots and 100 of them were Polish. We were considered Final Hope Island — and we were pretty much beaten. Operation Sealion was pretty much ready to go in 1940 — and it was only the change of strategy from bombing military targets to bombing London that allowed us to hold out. And it was likely because Churchill started it by bombing Berlin and Hitler was easily angered and never to be questioned.

That isn’t to put down British bravery. Hitler would’ve had a hard job if he’d got here — if you’ve never heard of the Scallywags.They’re worth reading about. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2301720/Churchills-secret-guerillas-poised-execute-senior-British-figures-risk-helping-Germans-Nazi-invasion.html Twenty minutes after the Nazis got here, we would’ve executed half the Royal family and started a war of attrition that made the French Resistance look like a mild inconvenience. All with tea and biscuits aplenty.

You did arrive earlier for the second world war than you did for the first — so at least your time keeping is getting better ;o)